Named Wenona shirt

I eyed and eyed the Named Wenona shirt and shirt dress before buying the pattern. I don't know why it took me so long, but I think it was Nikki's version that finally made me click that 'buy' button. That and the fact that my sister requested a floaty, white, summer shirt for Christmas.

Of course, I had to test the pattern before making my sister's shirt. And then I had to test it again because I wanted another one! This was my second version. The first was the shirtdress, that I have yet to photograph. For this shirt, I used a very lightweight cotton that I had bought at an eveningwear designer sale. It was beige with silver writing. Once I had finished the shirt, I decided it needed some more oomph, so I dyed it with Royal Blue Rit dye. I had wanted a darker blue but Spotlight had a very sorry selection of dye colours, so royal blue it was.

This is what the shirt looked like before dyeing:

I much prefer the blue and it makes the silver writing pattern stand out more on the fabric.

To add extra bling to my shimmery shirt, I chose sparkly diamante buttons from Textile Traders. 

The shirt was straightforward and enjoyable to make. The only change I made in this version was to cut two back yoke pieces for a double layer. I was concerned that a single layer of this fine fabric would be a bit flimsy across the upper back. The hardest part for me was attaching the collar stand so it looked neat. I might read up on some tutorials for tricks on getting this perfect.

I opted not to add the front pleats to keep this shirt light and cool. However, I am itching to make another version with pleats and colour blocking.

I love the back collar button detail.

The long strip that runs from the neckline, down the sleeve to the cuff makes setting in the sleeves a breeze. I would like to work out a way to add topstitching to both sides of the strip in future versions.

I also like the curved hemline. I will probably mostly wear it casually tucked in though.

Like this (worn with StyleArc Lola pants):

I'm very happy with this pattern and will definitely be making it again. I wish I had taken photos of my sister's white, beachy version as it gives quite a different look. I will see if she can send me some pictures.

I'm off to swimming lessons with my boys this New Year's Eve and I'll be wearing my new bathers that I just finished! Wishing everyone a safe and happy 2015 xx